The 21-year-old winger reached out to Little this week to apologize for comments he made in an interview with Finnish outlet Iltalehti on Monday; Laine suggested he'd have an "opportunity to play with the best players" if he played elsewhere.

"I actually talked to him two or three days ago," Little said, according to NHL.com's Tim Campbell. "He texted me and asked me to call him so I called him up and chatted for a few minutes. He was saying sorry and apologizing for just the way I think it was interpreted, which I kind of understood before I even talked to him.

"I know Patty well enough to know that he's not someone that's going to purposely say negative things, especially about his teammates."

The Finnish sniper has predominantly skated on the Jets' second line alongside Little and winger Nikolaj Ehlers during his three-year tenure with the club. In the interview, however, Laine suggested he'd be better off filling out the team's top trio alongside captain Blake Wheeler and center Mark Scheifele.

"If it's going to be negative, it's probably going to be about himself. That's just the way he is. So yeah, I said, 'You don't have to apologize to me, I get it,'" Little explained. "Sometimes those things are misunderstood. I knew right away he wants to play with the best players. That's the kind of way he was saying it.

"And yeah, Scheifs and Wheels are our best players and I'd like to play with those guys, too."

Laine, a restricted free agent, has yet to reach an agreement on a new contract with the Jets. He is currently training overseas with Swiss Club SC Bern.